Liner puller



June 9, 1959 L. c. MITCHAM 2,889,617

LINER FULLER Filed D60. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

LEG c. MITCHAM ATTORNEYS L. C. MITCHAM LINER FULLER June 9, 195 9 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1955 INVENTOR.

LEO 2. MFFCHAM WIWmazqW v'AQn I/W'n ATTOE N E'YS United States Patent LINER PULLER Leo C. Mitcham, Kermit, Tex. Application December 2, 1955, Serial No. 550,628

3 Claims. 01. 29-261 This invention relates to pulling devices, and more particularly has reference to a device for extracting a liner or sleeve from a cylinder in which it is tightly engaged, as for example, extracting a cylindrical liner of a slush pump used in oil well operations.

The extraction of liners of the type described above is ordinarily a troublesome operation, in view of the difiiculty of obtaining a proper grip upon the liner, and in view of the further difiiculty of breaking the liner loose from the wall of the cylinder in which it is tightly fitted. Accordingly, it has been heretofore proposed to provide pulling devices insertable in the liner, adapted to engage the liner and to shift the same in an axial direction for the purpose of removing it from its associated cylinder.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved pulling device of the type referred to, and to this end, the liner puller constituting the invention, summarized briefly, comprises an elongated, threaded barrel insertable through the liner. A support frame for the device is connectable directly to a conventional pump housing, and has a center opening within which the barrel is axially shiftable, responsive to turning of a nut, which is threaded upon the barrel, against the support frame. Carried by the barrel is a series of angularly spaced, radially extending fingers, which when shifted radially outwardly of the barrel engage in back of the liner so as to cause the liner to move with the barrel during the axial movement of the same.

For effecting the radial, outward adjustment of the fingers following insertion of the device in the liner, there is provided an elongated rod extending axially within the barrel and shiftable in an axial direction in respect to the barrel. The barrel and said rod have means accessible exteriorly of the pump housing for locking the rod in a selected position of adjustment axially of the barrel against further movement relative to the barrel, and at the other end of the rod there is provided means for camming the fingers in said radial, outward direction in respect to the barrel to engage the same in back of the liner.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

I Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the liner puller mounted upon a conventional pump;

1 Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the puller and the associated portion of the pump, on line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View on line 44 of Figure 2, through the finger means and the means for adjusting the fingers in a radial direction; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view, portions being broken away of the liner puller per se.

Referring to the drawings in detail, designated generally by the reference numeral 10 is a conventional slush pump including a housing provided adjacent the head of the pump with a fluid valve and seat assembly generally designated 12. The housing includes, inwardly from the head thereof, a cylinder in which is fitted a liner 14 that is to be removed. Forwardly of the fluid valve and seat assembly 12, there is provided a circumferential series of threaded recesses 16, and ordinarily, a pump head, not shown, is connected to housing 10 by screws threaded into said recesses. A pump rod ordinarily extends axially of and within the cylinder liner, and projects through the head.

When the device is to be used for pulling the liner, the pump head is removed, and the liner puller 18 constituting the present invention is secured to the pump by screws threaded into the recesses 16.

The liner puller includes a support frame which in the present instance is of generally U-shaped formation including legs 20 formed at their free ends with smooth walled sleeves 22 through which attaching screws 24 are extendable into recesses 16 to connect the frame fixedly to the pump housing in a position in which the frame extends outwardly from the open end of the housing.

In the bight portion of the frame, there is provided a thickened part 26 having a smoothwalled center opening 28 loosely receiving an elongated, externally threaded barrel 30 having at its outer end a reduced, smooth surfaced axial extension 32. At its other end, the barrel has an externally smooth surfaced portion 34 the outer diameter of which substantially matches that of the threaded part of the barrel.

In the outer surface of the enlarged part 26 of the support frame there is provided a relatively shallow recess 36 communicating with and eccentric with the opening 28 of the support frame, and adapted to bear against the bottom of recess 36 is a nut 38 threaded upon the barrel.

The nut, to reduce friction between the nut and the adjacent surface of the funnel shaped enlarged part 26 of the support frame, has a circumferential series of ball bearing elements 40 bearing against the bottom of the recess 36.

Formed in the barrel is an axial bore 42, which at the outer end of the barrel opens into a counterbore 44 extending Within the axial extension 32. Slidable and also rotatable within the bore 42 is a finger shift rod 46, which turns and also moves axially in ball bearings 47 provided adjacent opposite ends of rod 46.

At its outer end, the rod 46 is provided with a radial handle 48 engageable, responsive to partial rotation of rod 46 after axial movement thereof, in any one of a series of notches 50 communicating with a longitudinal slot 51 that opens into the counterbore 44 of extension 32. A cylindrical sleeve 52 is threaded onto a reduced, axial, threaded extension of the rod 46, and has threads at its opposite ends receiving a complementarily threaded axial extension of the handle 48, thus to permit the handle to be fixedly connected to the rod.

Welded to the barrel at the inner end of the threaded portion thereof is a collar 54, and as shown in Figure 3, welded to the collar at locations angularly spaced degrees apart circumferentially of collar 54 are radially, outwardly extending pairs of cars or brackets 56. Pivotally connected between the ears of each pair are elongated fingers 58, the fingers being thus attached to the barrel for swinging movement radially of the barrel about axes normal to the barrel axis.

At their outer ends, the fingers 68 have radially, outwardly extending projections or lugs 60 adapted to engage in back of the liner 14 when the fingers are adjusted in a radial direction outwardly from the barrel.

Rod 46, at its inner end, has a reduced axial extension 3 62 extending within an inner end counterbore 63 formed in the barrel in communication with the inner end of bore 46. Fitted onto the extension 62 is a small sleeve 64 having a smooth surfaced axial bore, and holding the sleeve assembled with extension 62 is a nut 65 threaded onto said extension 62.

Rigid with and projecting radially, outwardly from sleeve 64 are threaded pins or studs 66, and threaded onto the studs are transversely curved slide elements 68 hearing slidably against the smooth surfaced portion 34 of the barrel. The purpose of threading the studs 66 is to permit initial adjustment of the slide elements 68 radially of the studs, to permit them to fit a particular barrel. The slide elements are transversely curved about a common center, and are concentric with the barrel as shown in Figure 4.

The studs 66 extend through longitudinally extending, angularly spaced slots 67 formed in portion 34 in communication with the counterbore 63.

On the outer ends of studs 66 there are formed confronting, inwardly bent jaws 70, engaging opposite surfaces of triangular cam plates 72 fixedly secured to and extending longitudinally of the respective fingers 58 (Figure 5). The cam plates 72 lie in planes radial of the barrel, and along their inner longitudinal edges have longitudinal grooves 74 formed in their opposite faces, receiving the jaws 70 of the studs. The grooves 74, as will be seen from Figure 5, are extended at acute angles to the lengths of the fingers 58.

By reason of this arrangement, it will be seen that assuming that the rod 46 is shifted to the right from its position in Figure 2, the studs 66 will move toward the inner ends of the longitudinal slots 67. This will cam the fingers $8 radially, inwardly of the barrel, with the cam plates 72 moving at their outer ends into the slots 67. On shifting of rod 46 in an axial direction toward the left in Figure 2, a reverse action will be obtained, with fingers 58 being cammingly biased radially, outwardly of the barrel to dispose the projections 60 in engagement with the inner end of the liner 14 that is to be pulled.

In a preferred embodiment, and as shown in Figures 2 and 5, a nut 76 is threaded onto the inner end of the barrel, to close the slots 67 at their outer ends. Further, a plug 78 may be threaded into the outer end of the counterbore 63 as shown.

In use of the device, after removal of the pump head and attachment of the support frame to the pump hous ing in the manner shown in Figure 2, and with the pump or fluid rod also removed, the barrel is shifted in an axial direction with nut 38 retracted toward the extension 32, and with the finger 58 retracted. When the barrel has been shifted inwardly of the liner to the desired extent, one need only hold the barrel stationary while now shifting the rod 46 axially within the barrel to the left in Figure 2. This will cam the fingers S8 outwardly to engage the projections 69 in back of the liner. When the fingers 58 engage the liner, thus providing an indication that projections 69 are engaged in back of the liner, the rod 46 will be partially rotated to shift handle 48 into a registering notch 50. This locks the rod against axial movement relative to the barrel.

As a next step, the barrel, with the rod locked thereto, is shifted axially to the right in Figure 2, by rotating the nut 33 against the support frame. This will, of course, break the liner loose from the associated cylinder, to extract the same.

The construction, as will be seen, permits swift and easy adjustment of the device to a liner-engaging position, and further facilitates the extraction of the liner. A suitable tool, such as a wrench, would of course be applied to the nut 38 for the purpose of rotating the same during the extraction of the liner.

A further important characteristic resides in the adaptability of the device for removing liners of differcut diameters, the fingers 58 being radially adjustable within a relatively wide range, responsive to a relatively small amount of movement of the rod 46 in an axial direction.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustnated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for pulling a liner for an associated housing, comprising: a support frame attachable to said housing; a barrel axially shiftable within said frame and having an outer end projecting outwardly beyond the frame and an inner end extendable through the liner to be removed; means on the outer end of the barrel bearing against the frame for axially shifting the barrel within the frame; a rod axially shiftable within the barrel and having an inner end spaced axially, inwardly of the barrel from said inner end of the barrel; means on the rod engageable with the outer end of the barrel for locking the rod and barrel against relative axial movement in selected positions to which the rod is axially shifted within the barrel; a plurality of fingers angularly spaced about the circumference of the barrel adjacent the inner end thereof, said fingers being pivotally connected at one end to the barrel at a location intermediate the end of the rod and the outer end of the barrel, the fingers including projections at their other ends engageable with one end of the liner responsive to swinging of the fingers in direction radially, outwardly of the barrel about their pivot axes; a series of studs carried by and projecting radially from the inner end of the rod, the barrel having a plurality of longitudinal guide slots in which said studs are slidably engaged; plates rigid with the respective fingers having longitudinal cam grooves, each finger and the cam grooves of the plate connected thereto diverging in a direction away from the location at which the fingers are pivotally connected to the barrel, toward the inner end of the barrel, said grooves, when the fingers are retracted out of engagement with the liner, converging in a direction from the location of the pivotal COIlf nection of the fingers to the barrel toward said inner end of the barrel; and jaws carried by the respective studs receiving said plates and engaging slidably in the cam grooves, thus to adjust the fingers radially, outwardly from the barrel into engagement with the liners responsive to axial movement of the rod in a direction effective to move the inner end of the rod toward the inner end of the barrel. 1

2. A device for pulling a liner for an associated housing, comprising: a support frame attachable to said hous ing; a barrel axially shiftable within said frame and having an outer end projecting outwardly beyond the frame and an inner end extendable through the liner to be removed; means on the outer end of the barrel bearing against the frame for axially shifting the barrel within the frame; a rod axially shiftable within the barrel and having an inner end spaced axially, inwardly of the barrel from said inner end of the barrel; means on the rod engageable with the outer end of the barrel for lock: ing the rod and barrel against relative axial movement in selected positions to which the rod is axially shifted within the barrel; a plurality of fingers angularly spaced about the circumference of the barrel adjacent the inner end thereof, said fingers being pivotally connected at one end to'the barrel at a location intermediate the end of the rod and the outer end of the barrel, the fingers including" projections at their other ends engageable with one end of the liner responsive to swinging of the fingers in directions radially, outwardly of the barrel about their pivot axes; a series of studs carried by and projecting radially from the inner end of the rod, the barrel having a plurality of longitudinal guide slots in which said studs are slidably engaged; plates rigid with the respective fingers having longitudinal cam grooves, each finger and the cam grooves of the plate connected thereto diverging in a direction away from the location at which the fingers are pivotally connected to the barrel, toward the inner end of the barrel, said grooves, when the fingers are retracted out of engagement with the liner, converging in a direction from the location of the pivotal connection of the fingers to the barrel toward said inner end of the barrel; and jaws carried by the respective studs receiving said plates and engaging slidably in the cam grooves, thus to adjust the fingers radially, outwardly from the barrel into engagement with the liners responsive to axial movement of the rod in a direction efiective to move the inner end of the rod toward the inner end of the barrel, the inner end of the rod, in the liner-engaging positions of the fingers, being disposed intermediate opposite ends of the barrel.

3. A device for pulling a liner from an associated housing, comprising: a support frame attachable to said housing; a barrel axially shiftable within said frame and having an outer end projecting outwardly beyond the frame and an inner end extendable through the liner to be removed; means on the outer end of the barrel bearing against the frame for axially shifting the barrel within the frame; a rod axially shiftable within the barrel and having an inner end spaced axially, inwardly of the barrel from said inner end of the barrel; means on the rod engageable with the outer end of the barrel for locking the rod and barrel against relative axial movement in selected positions to which the rod is axially shifted Within the barrel; a plurality of fingers angularly spaced about the circumference of the barrel adjacent the inner end thereof, said fingers being pivotally connected at one end to the barrel at a location intermediate the end of the rod and the outer end of the barrel, the fingers ineluding projections at their other ends engageable with one end of the liner responsive to swinging of the fingers in a direction radially, outwardly of the barrel about their pivot axes; a series of studs carried by and projecting radially from the inner end of the rod, the barrel having a plurality of longitudinal guide slots in which said studs are slidably engaged; plates rigid with the respective fingers having longitudinal cam grooves, each finger and the cam grooves of the plate connected thereto diverging in a direction away from the location at which the fingers are pivotally connected to the barrel, toward the inner end of the barrel, said grooves, when the fingers are retracted out of engagement with the liner, converging in a direction from the location of the pivotal connection of the fingers to the barrel toward said inner end of the barrel; jaws carried by the respective studs receiving said plates and engaging slidably in the cam grooves, thus to adjust the fingers radially, outwardly from the barrel into engagement with the liners responsive to axial movement of the rod in a direction eflfective to move the inner end of the rod toward the inner end of the barrel; a sleeve removably rotatably mounted on said inner end of the rod within the barrel, said studs being rigidly connected to the sleeve, said guide slots opening at one end upon the inner end of the barrel; and an abutment removably attached to said inner end of the barrel in position closing the slots at said one end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,426,126 Tuggle Aug. 15, 1922 1,553,171 Jones Sept. 8, 1925 1,650,964 Schmitt Nov. 29, 1927 1,719,720 Olsen July 2, 1929 1,762,796 Ridenour June 10, 1930 2,098,134 Cook et al Nov. 2, 1937 2,257,318 Wilboin Sept. 30, 1941 2,318,980 White May 11, 1943 2,469,325 Whitson et a1 Feb. 1, 1949 2,613,983 Knudsen Oct. 14, 1952 

